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Happy Veterans Day!

Another update from the HR jungle….

Cole retired from the Army after 20 years of service with lots of hash marks on his sleeves and medals on his chest for his combat experience. Cole thought he’d enjoy a break from educating second lieutenants on how to stay alive in a combat zone. But six months after he retired his wife ordered him to get a job because he was driving her crazy. A former sergeant can’t just sit around the house; he needs to stay busy.

With that encouragement, Cole started a company with a couple of former Army buddies. Since they all loved the uniform they once wore they decided to hire only people with military training. Their small workforce includes men and women who are former military as well as a couple of current members of the National Guard or reserves.

Cole’s company is a revolving door for some employees due to deployments to hotspots around the world. As a private sector employer, Cole and his co-owners know they must comply with the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act (USERRA).

This law requires that military personnel who are called up for active duty must be re-hired by their private sector employers with the same seniority, status and pay as they would have had without the deployment. This law also allows employees and their families to stay on the employer’s group health plan while the employees are deployed.

Next week on November 11th, Cole will celebrate Veterans Day, marching in a parade with other veterans. To all the men and women like Cole, happy Veterans Day!